1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transit schedule generating method and system, and more particularly to a human interface system for generating and changing railway schedules and flight schedules, or automating or semi-automating the execution or the supporting of the regulation of such schedules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As computers have been developed, the generation and regulation of railway schedules have been computerized. However, due to the limitation of the performance of the hardware and software of a computer, it is still necessary for man to share the functions of a computer and check the results of computer-processed work. In spite of this fact, a method has not sufficiently been developed, which is helpful in understanding the content of a computer-processing operation, sufficiently indicating the information, which is required for the generation and correction of a railway schedule, on a display, manually checking the results of computer-processed data and adding and incorporating the operator's judgement in the results of computer-processed data. A conventional transit schedule generating system is merely provided with a schedule-setting display and a schedule diagram-indicating display. A schedule is set by the former display and confirmed by the latter display, and this system has no greater ability. In the generation and regulation of a railway schedule, not only a schedule diagram but also a diagram of allocation of vehicles and trainmen and a diagram of the condition of use of station facilities should be displayed at once when necessary. Frequently the following two types of such diagrams should be displayed at once, i.e. general diagrams including general information and divisional diagrams including particular information. Making schedule diagrams of train and station is also important. It is necessary that these schedule diagrams be displayed as necessary in required sizes and shape in positions in which they can be seen at once.
It is unsuitable to use such a conventional transit schedule generating system for the purpose of accurately generating and changing a railway schedule while watching the schedule as a whole, by displaying the information on such a schedule with respect to the above-mentioned various subjects at once for the convenience of comparing and checking each divisional information and grasping the general information, or by transferring a part or an element of the information by an easily-operable mouse while watching the schedule diagram, or by changing the shape of an element of the information while watching the schedule diagram. As an example by a recently developed transit schedule generating system, which also uses two displays, a schedule setting picture and a picture of schedules for all trains can be displayed. However, the generation and correction of a schedule diagram are done only on the schedule setting picture, and the functions of changing a schedule by efficiently manipulating the elements of the schedule diagram are not provided. The pointing device used in this system includes a light pen of a low level of handling efficiency, and a mouse is not employed. In a system using both a key board and a light pen, inputting accurate numerical values is difficult.
(Reference literature: "DIAPS Schedule Diagram Generating System of the National Railways Corporation" (18th Collection of Drafts of Theses on the Railway Cybernetics, 1981, page 151)